


someday when you're looking back on your life

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flying Doctors
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Het Relationship, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 21:45:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12566884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Johnno and Rowie are having a good night, separately, at the party. When they dance together, it gets even better.





	someday when you're looking back on your life

**Author's Note:**

> For one million words October bingo prompt "One of those Nights"

It was, Johnno thought as he looked around, a good old fashioned bush bash. Most of Cooper's Crossing residents, both past and present, were gathered in the hall, there had been plenty of food and even more drink and a good time had well and truly been had by all. Johnno's throat was already feeling that scratchy sensation from too much talking over loud music that told him loud and clear he was going to be hoarse in the morning and the beers he'd consumed meant he was going to be a little headachy so it was a good job there were no clinic runs scheduled and another pilot was rostered on call. Still, emergencies were never asleep so he put down the glass of beer in his hand on a nearby table and looked around the room for something else to occupy his hands. 

He found just the thing across the room, deep in conversation with Kate and the lady doctor who was back in town, Chris something or other. Grinning, he made his way over to the three ladies, sliding his arm around Rowie's waist. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, although he suspected that they all knew he was no such thing. "But I thought I might steal my wife for a dance." 

Kate and Chris grinned and smiled respectively; Rowie just rolled her eyes. "Such romance," she drawled, but the way her lips curled in a smile, the way her eyes danced, belied her words. One of her hands found his and she let him lead her out onto a corner of the dance floor where she didn't resist in the slightest as he wrapped both arms around her waist, just high enough to be proper. The song was too fast to be a real slow song but too slow for fast dancing, not that Johnno was much of a dancer, but he could certainly sway and that seemed like a pretty good idea to him. If the way Rowie smiled up at him as she put one arm around his waist, the other around his neck was any indication, she didn't have any complaints. 

"Good night?" he asked. "I feel like I've hardly seen you." 

"I know." Rowie wrinkled her nose as she looked around but she was still smiling as she said it, looking as relaxed as he'd ever seen her. "I suppose that's what happens at things like this." 

Johnno nodded, affecting an exaggeratedly thoughtful look. "I should probably be grateful... for a minute there, I was worried you were going to leave me and go on tour as one of Vic's backing singers." He'd been as surprised as anyone when she'd got up on stage and sung along with Vic's specially written song, possibly more than most. Rowie was not one who usually coveted the limelight. 

Even now, her cheeks darkened and she giggled as she ducked her head against his cheek. Which was also somewhat not like Rowie and made him wonder. "Vic asked me," she said. "Well, actually, he got Nancy to do it and I couldn't say no to her."

"Still trying to get back into her good graces, eh?" Because while the older woman was happy that he and Rowie had finally got their act together and got married, the way they'd done it - eloping to Broken Hill, just the two of them - had raised more than a few eyebrows. 

He expected a trademark Rowie snappy retort. Instead her smile shifted somehow, became softer, almost faraway. "I'm working on it," was all she said and he tilted his head curiously as he looked down at her. It felt as if he was missing something that he just couldn't put his finger on. Especially when she pressed herself just a little closer to him because the Rowie he knew was no more a fan of PDA than she was of the spotlight. 

"You seem awfully happy," he said in lieu of a question and she didn't reply, just lifted one eyebrow. "Not that you don't have cause to be, married to a man like me of course..." She laughed at that, just like he'd known she would. 

"I am happy," she said and her smile was suddenly brighter than he'd ever seen, and that was including their wedding day. Considering some of the conversations they'd had on this subject in the past, those three simple words were anything but simple and Johnno knew it, felt as if the rest of the room faded away, leaving just him and Rowie. 

And he really, really wanted it to be just the two of them all of a sudden. 

Lowering his head to speak directly into her ear - you never knew who in this town would actually be reading lips - he said, "I really wish we were alone right now." 

Her eyes were dark when they met his. "You want to leave?" 

"I don't even know where we're staying tonight," he said, because he certainly couldn't drive, but she didn't blink. 

"I'll drive," she said and added, off his surprised look, "I haven't had a drink all night." 

Johnno blinked. "You haven't?" 

"Nope." Rowie shook her head, an extra sparkle suddenly in her eyes. "Sober as a judge." 

Once again, Johnno felt like he was missing something but he couldn't put his fingers on it. "Yeah?" 

"Johnno." Rowie took a deep breath, let it out slowly. "I can't drink." 

Johnno blinked again. "You can't?" 

That funny little smile was back again. "No. I can't." 

And just like that, the pieces slotted into place. 

He knew he should be happy. He knew he should be excited. He knew he should be whooping out loud and spinning her off her feet. Instead, he knew he was just staring at her, eyes wide, mouth agape, looking pretty damned hilarious if the way she pressed her lips together as her shoulders shook with laughter was anything to go by. 

When he was finally able to speak, only one word came out. "Yeah?" 

Rowie's smile widened as she wrapped both arms around his neck. "Yes." 

Funny, Johnno thought as he brought his lips down to hers. A moment like this, he'd always thought he'd want to shout it from the rooftops. Instead, all he wanted to do was hold her tight, take her back home and make plans, dreams for the future, keep the news just between them, at least for a little while. "I love you," he told her after a long, slow kiss, his forehead resting against hers and this close he could see happy tears in her eyes. 

"I love you too," she told him as she rested her head on his shoulder and they swayed like that until the band stopped playing.


End file.
